Dr. Mildred Jefferson – History Maker

Dr. Mildred Jefferson passed away on Saturday, October 16th (2010) but should not ever be forgotten. Though history books may never contain her name, her deep Christian faith inspired her community compassion. Her medical and prolife accomplishments are history making.

Growing up in the Jim Crow south, she knew first hand the oppression and evil of racism and its often covert vehicle of eugenics. But she rose above. In 1947, she was admitted to Harvard Medical School, and in 1951 became the first black woman to graduate from the school. And her journey had just begun.

“I became a physician in order to help save lives. I am at once a physician, a citizen, and a woman, and I am not willing to stand aside and allow the concept of expendable human lives to turn this great land of ours into just another exclusive reservation where only the perfect, the privileged, and the planned have the right to live.” –Mildred Jefferson, M.D. (2003, American Feminist magazine)

According to Anne Fox, her friend and president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Dr. Jefferson was responsible for bringing Ronald Reagan into the pro-life movement. As co-founder of the National Right to Life, she is the anathema to the pro-abortion movement, particularly those who conjure up false African-American history in order to bolster their “reproductive justice” propaganda (i.e. SisterSong). Dr. Jefferson, awarded 28 honorary degrees from various prestigious institutions, was unapologetically pro-life and dedicated her life to exposing the evils of eugenics, Planned Parenthood, and the abortion agenda.

We’ll make sure her name and her life are known to the hundreds of thousands we speak to annually. May she rest in peace, knowing that her life will continue to inspire millions to come.

Comments

What an amazing woman. I sent this to my mom, who was finishing med school about the same time as Dr. Jefferson. I’m going to meet Dr. Alveda King this Friday, and will ask her if she knew Dr. Jefferson.
I love your site. I have been sharing it with friends and family—many of whom thought I was silly for being pro-life. But your excellent site has been a wake-up call. Thank you!!

Rose

March 4, 2012

I was privledged to hear Dr. Jefferson’s key note speech at one of several pro-life gatherings I attended in the 1970’s. No one could inspire like Dr. Jefferson. Because of her I wanted to be an inspiration too. She elevated and fired up hundreds of people at her speeches. What a blessing. The black and white communities are now full of inspirational people and I’m sure Dr. Jefferson is thrilled to see it!